Adjustable file holding device

ABSTRACT

A file holding device having a shaft with a plurality of slots therein, an apertured rod insertable in each slot, and a flexible file attached to the ends of the apertured rods which adjust the curvature of the flexible file by lowering or raising the rods through the slots in the shaft.

United States Patent 1 Coon et al.

[54] ADJUSTABLE FILE HOLDING DEVICE [75] Inventors: James A. Coon, 929 Drever Street,

West Sacramento; Elwin Theobald,

Fair Oaks, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: said Coon, by said Theobald [22] Filed: Dec. 18, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 99,334

52 vs. C] 29/s0 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23d 71/04 [58] Field of Search ..29/76, 78, 80; 76/36, Nil

[5 6] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,618,604 2/1927 Riggs ..29/80 1 Jan. 16, 1973 3,123,947 3/1964 Rawley ..29/78 X Primary Examiner-l-larrison L. Hinson Attorney -Alexander B. Blair [5 7] ABSTRACT A file holding device having a shaft with a plurality of slots therein, an apertured rod insertable in each slot, and a flexible file attached to the ends of .the apertured rods which adjust the curvature of the flexible file by lowering or raising the rods through the slots in the shaft.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 16 1975 SHEET 1 [IF 2 INVENTORS. JAMES A. Coo/v [L Wl/V THEOBALD BY Arr 'k/vcY.

This invention relates to a file holding device which can be adjusted to vary the curvature of the file.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which can adjust the curvature of a file in addition to holding it steady for the filing operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and quick means for adjusting the curvature of the file.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sim- I ple and quick means for removing and substituting a file in conjunction with the file holding device.

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a careful consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the file holding device and file;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a blown up view of the fastener of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an embodiment of a flat file;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational cut-away view of a fastener;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a fastener;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a fastener; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on lines 11-11 of FIG. 10.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a handle attached to a shaft 22. Handle 20, which is shown with a cylindrical knurled section 24 at one end thereof, has a straight end 26 and a curved portion 25 between end 26 and knurled section 24. It should be noted that handle 20 may be in any desired shape such as completely curved or completely straight. End 26 has a longitudinal slot 28 open at the end of straight end 26. Shaft 22 has a hole 30 through which a bolt 32 is inserted, bolt 32 also being inserted through slot 28 for slidably attaching handle 20 to the top surface of shaft 22. A wing nut 34 allows handle 20to be adjusted when loosened. A pair of extensions 36 extending upward from the sides of shaft 22 form a guide for and prevent unwanted slippage and twisting of handle 20.

Near each end of shaft 22 is a longitudinalslot 50 therein. Equidistant between slots 50 is a shorter slot 52in shaft 22. A bar 54 having apertures 56 along the longitudinal axis thereof has a widthyslightly less than the length of slot 52 for insertion therethrough. Bar 54 is connected at the bottom end thereof to a fastener 58. Fastener 58 is mounted to the smooth surface side 60 of a flat file 62 at the longitudinal center thereof by means of an upright bracket 64 extending from surface 60 on each side of file 62. Pivotally mounted to the bottom and top surfaces of shaft 22 by means of a fastener 66 are hooks 68which are positioned so they can be inserted into a desired aperture 56 thereby determining the length of bar 54 allowedto be lowered through slot 52.

A bar 70 having apertures 72 similar to apertures 56 is insertable through each slot 50 and lowered or raised to the desired height by means of pivotally mounted hooks 74 as with hooks 68. As with bar 64, each bar 70 is connected at the bottom thereof to a fastener 76 having raised portions 75 and ends 77 forming mounting recesses 79 and a center recess 81. Center recess 81 is pivotally mounted within the bottommost hole 72 of bar 70, and fastener 76 is mounted on surface 60 of file 62 by means of brackets 78 near one end of file 62 which are mounted over recesses 79.- Each slot 50 is longer than the width of bar 70 and bar 70 is pivotally I connected to fastener 76 enabling file 62 to be adjusted for a desired curvature by raising the ends .of file 62 above the center thereof, lowering the ends of file 62 below the center thereof, slanting bars one way or the other, and any combinationof these methods. In this manner, file teeth can be utilized for filing numerous and unusual concave and convex shapes through quick and simple adjustments of any and all bars 70 and 54.

Shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is a variation of file 62 having file teeth 80 along the bottom surface thereof, a pair of brackets 102 bent upright out of file 100 and each having a hole 104 therein, and a pair of looped hook strips 106 extending from each end of file 100 and curving over the top surface of file 100. The pan head machine screw assembly shown in FIG. 8 comprising the internally threaded casing 108 and the mating screw 110 is used with the embodiments of FIGS'. 6 and 7 instead of fastener 76. When file 100 is to be mounted, the bottom of bar 72 is inserted between the slot 112 formed by strips 106 so that the bottommost hole 72 is in alignment with the partially opened cylin' drical ends 114 of strips 106. Casing 108 is slid through ends 114 and hole 72 and screw 110 is threaded thereinto pivotally mounting file I00 to bar 70.

The use of a cotter pin as shown in FIG. 9 instead of the FIG. 8 screw assembly is feasible and perhaps even more efficient in that the cotter key may be removed and replaced much faster in addition to being less expensive.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an alternate method of adjusting and fixing the extent of insertion through each slot 50 or 52 by utilizing a U-shaped hook having legsinsertable in the holes 72 of bar 70 or holes 56 of bar 54 immediately adjacent the top and bottom surfaces of shaft 22.

Having illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiments of this invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of this invention. I

We claim: 7

1. An adjustable file holding device, comprising'a handle, a shaft connectedto said handle, a flexible longitudinal sheet having file teeth extending therefrom for filing, connecting means pivotally attached between said sheet and said shaft enabling said sheet to be adjusted to a desired curvature for filing convex and concave shapes in the alternative, said connecting means including a bar having apertures along the longitudinal axis thereof, said shaft having a slot therein through which said bar is inserted, and adjusting means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes a hook adjacent said shaft and'posimeans includes a plurality of said bars and said adjusting means includes a plurality of said hooks, said shaft having a plurality of said slots corresponding to said plurality of bars enabling said sheet to be manually ad- 5 justed for a fine curvature along any portion thereof i a quick and simple manner. 

1. An adjustable file holding device, comprising a handle, a shaft connected to said handle, a flexible longitudinal sheet having file teeth extending therefrom for filing, connecting means pivotally attached between said sheet and said shaft enabling said sheet to be adjusted to a desired curvature for filing convex and concave shapes in the alternative, said connecting means including a bar having apertures along the longitudinal axis thereof, said shaft having a slot therein through which said bar is inserted, and adjusting means.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes a hook adjacent said shaft and positioned to be inserted in at least a desired one of said apertures for adjusting the length of said bar which is lowered and raised through said slot enabling the curvature of said sheet to be simply and quickly adjusted.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said connecting means includes a plurality of said bars and said adjusting means includes a plurality of said hooks, said shaft having a plurality of said slots corresponding to said plurality of bars enabling said sheet to be manually adjusted for a fine curvature along any portion thereof in a quick and simple manner. 